Reviews and Recipes!

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product heavily discounted for my honest opinion!

Exercise balls are a wonderful accessory to any workout plan. As I'm 6 months pregnant, I'm looking for more versatile ways to get my exercises done. I'm also scheduled to have a c-section again so I need an easy way to exercise with minimal strain. The Champion's Vitality is a perfect ready to go out of the box solution to my needs!

The Champion's vitality exercise ball came with everything in the package that you need for a quick setup. It included the ball, a hand pump, a tape measure and two plugs. Inflating the ball was a little bit of a workout in itself, it took me about 15 minutes using the hand pump. The tape measure was invaluable in helping get it to the right size of 65cm. Of course, my six year old was trying to "help" me the whole time. The instructions suggested inflating a little larger the first time to help improve elasticity. I absolutely loved the vibrant blue color of the ball! The texture was great, with nifty anti-slip rings across the body of it. The ball held up very well to me doing a few exercises on it and definitely stood up well to my six year old bouncing around the house on it. After some rigorous "testing" by my son, it didn't deflate or lose any shape whatsoever. I also tried deflating the ball and it only took about 5 minutes to completely air out. I was able to squeeze it back in the box with the pump and tape measure, so it's also easy to take with you if you need to travel or take it to the gym! I absolutely love this ball and have begun doing daily exercises on it! It makes movements so much easier for me!
If you'd love a gorgeous ready-to-go exercise ball too, you can get one here:
http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Burst-Champions-Vitality-Measuring-Inflating/dp/B00ZB3JHHI/ie=UTF8?m=%20AZRH0BO87MHGZ&keywords=exercise+ball

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product heavily discounted for my honest opinion!

My husband recently had his credit card stolen without it even leaving his wallet! It's amazing how advanced thieves are getting nowadays. Somehow, they can steal your entire identity just by walking past you. It's extremely frustrating to cancel all your cards and then having to use cash for everything for two weeks until your new cards come in. You never realize how much you use your cards until it's time to pay all your bills, get gas,, or simply go grocery shopping! But, with thieves getting more advanced, ways of fighting them are getting more advanced too.
​ While there are RFID blocking sleeves, they can be troublesome to fumble with them trying to get your card out at the register and they can get quite bulky if you need quite a few of them. RF Shield has come up with a perfect way of fighting those annoyingly advanced thieves! They produce a whole RFID blocking wallet.

RF Shield's RFID blocking wallet came nicely gift wrapped, and perfect for gifting to any man in your life. The wallet itself is made of genuine leather with a cowhide layer on top that is very sleek and soft to the touch. The wallet is very nicely made, with fine stitching along the edges. The leather seems very durable and can withstand quite a bit of battering. The RFID blocking material is built into the inside of the wallet, you don't even see it, it looks just like a normal wallet. The wallet is very easily accessible with a see thru mesh ID pocket and three credit card slots that perfectly accommodate your cards. It also has two nice big cash compartments as well, perfect for keeping cash and receipts. The wallet is very easy to use, and very convenient to get to your cards whenever you need quick access. It's nice and slim, not bulky and bulging like some other wallets, perfect for slipping in your back pocket without feeling like you're sitting on a phonebook! This wallet really works!! Usually, when my husband gets to work, he just passes his whole wallet underneath the time clock and it scans his time card. Well, yesterday morning, it couldn't scan it, and he had to go take his card out of the wallet before it would scan. It's a little inconvenient, but at least we know it really works! He'd rather do that than have to go through canceling cards and getting new ones which is a nightmare! My husband feels so much more secure going places with this wallet now! If you'd like to get somebody something really special, you can get one here:http://rfshieldwallet.com

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

Where I live, in central Texas, it can get ridiculously hot sometimes! Summers usually peak at around 105 or more most days. Even this winter has been unusually warm with the average temperatures a picture perfect high 70's usually. Since I have a black car, it can get extremely hot in there! I make sure to have seat covers and a steering wheel cover to help, but I've desperately been needing a good windshield shade.

The sunshades come in an attractive little pouch that is perfect for fitting under your seat when not in use. When I pulled the sunshade out, it immediately popped up into shape, ready to use. Installation was very simple, I simply put it in my windshield and put my visors down to hold it in place. It gave my windshield full coverage and significantly darkened and cooled it inside. Also included was two bonus side shades with one suction cup each. They easily fit over my windows but did not cover the whole window, just the middle area. Better than nothing though! They were easily see-thru but they did help shield some sunlight out. When I was done with all the shades, a little bit of twisting, and they all fit back into the storage pouch very easily! This windshield shade is so much better than the accordion style one and is so easy and fast to put in place and take down! It really did cool my car down significantly!
If you have a hot car you need to protect, you can get your own set here:
http://www.amazon.com/AlphaShades-Car-Windshield-Sunshade-ultraviolet/dp/B00XAX4B9A

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

We like to grill a lot in my house. If the weather is acceptable, we grill about every other weekend! As the proud owner of five BBQ pits, it's essential to have a good grill brush. Wamder gave me the most awesome grill brush I've ever had to review!

The Wamder grill bush is very durable and comes with a handy drawstring pouch for easy storage. The drawstring has a nice loop on it that's perfect for hanging on a hook. The grill brush has a perfect length handle of 18" with a nice rubberized grip that is very comfortable to hold without any slippage. The length of the handle is absolutely perfect for keeping just far enough away from he flames and heat while still staying close enough to perfectly reach every spot. The brush is made of three separate rows of stainless steel bristles that wrap around the grates, cleaning the top, sides and bottom all in one swipe. The bristles are very sturdy and strong and can take on the toughest of "crunchies" left behind on the grill without scratching or damaging the grates whatsoever. The 6x reinforced handle is very strong and doesn't bend or flex with even the most firm of pressure.

I tried out the Wamder Grill Brush on my gas grill that hadn't been cleaned in a while. It powered through the crunchies and buildup very easily and left my grate looking almost brand new without any damage. It was very quick and effortless! I am very happy with the results of this grill brush, it's the best brush I've ever tried out! If you'd like an amazing grill brush for yourself, you can get one here:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A6M0QKK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

*I was not aid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

Living in central Texas, my skin has been especially dry this winter season. It's been cold and dry here, not a speck of snow or regular moisture. It's also been really windy some days. Thus, my skin has started to really dry out and I've even gotten a few dry patches in places. I was very pleased to be offered to review this wonderful Sea Infused Herbal Moisturizer by OZ Naturals.

The herbal moisturizer is made of all natural ingredients with Vitamin C , Algae Keratin Extract and Blueberry Extract. It is Vitamin C infused with seaweed proteins that act as collagen building precursors. Another key ingredient , organic sulfur acts as a natural solvent, enhancing cellular permeability and helping to detox so nutrients can move in. It has a whole list of other ingredients, and is 72% organic.
When I first tried it out, I was somewhat surprised at the color- a light yellowish beige. But color isn't everything- it's the results that matter. Once I rubbed it into my skin, it didn't tint it and blended right in. After it dried, I immediately noticed my skin was silkier and smoother and seemed to have a little more elasticity. I'm only 26, and don't really have wrinkles, but there is starting to be some slight crinkling in the corners of my eyes. After a few days of applying this moisturizer, My skin seemed fuller and my crinkles pretty much disappeared, making me look 21 again! Like I said though, they were not deep crinkles, they were barely noticeable only to me since I look at my face in the mirror everyday! I'm actually very youthful looking for my age. My skin was definitely softer and smoother and felt just....silky. The smell is slightly odd, but it's not unpleasant and it goes away after a few minutes of application. Overall, I'm very pleased with this product after just a few days of use!
If you'd like to have smooth, silky skin too, you can get some here:
http://www.amazon.com/OZ-Naturals-Facial-Moisturizer-Moisturizing/dp/B00KWTYYWE/ref=sr_1_5?m=AAV4VIJAUEOCB&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1452591560&sr=1-5

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

Anybody who has ever used a garden hose knows hoe much of a pain it is to get it all rolled back up and put away neatly. Most of the time, it feels like I'm wrestling with a giant snake trying to get the hose back in the storage box. Sure, there's things that you can turn a crank and it'll roll it up for you, but still that takes a while. A simple, no-fail solution is to get an expandable garden hose!

Ohuhu makes and expandable garden hose that is high quality and very durable! Amazingly, this 25 foot hose can fit into a tiny 7.5" x 4.3" box! This would make a spectacular gift for pretty much anybody. Inside the compact package is the hose, a versatile nozzle, and a spare washer. The hose is only 8.2 feet long when its unexpanded, which is a very manageable length. It is very light and very easy to carry around without being cumbersome. The nozzle has a nice grip and fits in the hand comfortably. It has eight settings - full, angle, shower, mist, center, flat, cone, and soaker - which enables you to choose the best flow for your current activity. The nozzle is very easy to use, I was able to switch the setting with just one hand by turning the ring in front of the markings.

Using the hose was very easy, and somehow oddly satisfying. I simple screwed one end into my spigot, and screwed the nozzle onto the other end of the hose. I turned my water on and watched the hose expand to a nice full volume. No water leaked whatsoever anywhere, it only came out when I used the sprayer. After I was done, I turned my water off, and the hose stayed full. I just sprayed the last of the water out of the sprayer until the hose was completely empty and shriveled up again. I was able to take the sprayer off, shake the hose to get the last of the water out, and actually fit it back in the box for easy storage! I am very impressed with the ease of use of this awesome hose and the easy nozzle! If you'd like to stop wrestling with your garden hose, you can get an expandable one here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01566WQWW

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

Working out can be a pain in the....uh....muscle. So can just going to your everyday job if it's physically challenging. We are forever looking for ways to massage ourselves to try to loosen all those troublesome knots and aches. A popular way of doing that nowadays is by using foam rollers.

The Bintiva foam roller was a little larger than I expected. It measures 13 x 5 inches and has a dense foam exterior. The inside is made of some kind of hard plastic material that is very firm and durable. The roller is specially designed to hold it's shape and not lose functionality or elasticity over time. The bumps on the outside are seamless and made to roll through tight muscles and sore spots to help reduce soreness.
My husband works 10 hour shifts doing granite fabrication all day. That means he's up on his feet carrying around granite or standing in place for hours while he cuts and polishes. I've polished myself here at the house, and it's not an easy job! It takes a few hours in several different stages moving a vibrating polisher back and forth. My arms, shoulders, back and feet were absolutely killing me after only a couple hours. He does this 4 days a week!
I decided to put this foam roller to the ultimate test. After one of his long days, I asked him to lay on the floor and tried out this roller. I was able to get his back, legs and arms thoroughly with it. He said it felt wonderful and almost fell asleep, it was so relaxing. I then tried it on myself, and even being 6 months pregnant, I was able to thoroughly massage my back and my legs without too much effort. It really did feel great and went through quite a few knots, loosening them up. The foam roller held it's shape and didn't even flex under some heavy pressure. We absolutely love the Bintiva foam roller!
If you'd like to power through those tight muscles too, you can get one here:
http://www.amazon.com/Reinforced-Massage-Trigger-Myofascial-Physical/dp/B016CG1N4M/ref=lp_9107426011_1_11?srs=9107426011&ie=UTF8&qid=1454010056&sr=8-11

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

Where I live, in central Texas, cedar season is at it's peak right now. You can literally see the cedar pollen floating around outside it's that bad. And when cedar season isn't occurring , we have high mold or ragweed, or some other allergy going on all the time. I guess that's the price to pay for living in the country- extreme allergies! A great way to help combat the pollen is to use vent filters. Since I'm tired of inadvertently crying from allergies every day, I was thrilled to be offered to review TidyDocks vent filters.

I wasn't too sure exactly which size to get for my vents, so I got the 8x18 filter to try out. The package included the filter, three magnetic strips and a small tube of super glue. Installation was very simple. I placed the filter over the vent I wanted it on and marked the edges with a marker. I then cut it to shape. Then, I cut the magnetic strips to the exact lengths of the sides. You have to remember to factor in the corners! It took most of two strips to cover all the edges. The strips are more magnetic on one side than the other. The less magnetic side has a small white stripe on it. I used the supplied tube of super glue to attach the magnetic strips to the filter edges, and almost immediately they were dry and ready to put on the vent.
The filter is made of a polypropylene mesh in a soft PVC grid device that is fully washable. That's a huge bonus so you're not always having to buy new filters. The filter is meant to be placed over forced air HVAC vents and cold air returns. The vent filters significantly reduce the amount of dust, dirt and pet hair from being pulled into the HVAC system. They are also great for bathroom exhaust fans by helping to keep out all the dirt and other things that may clog it, making you remove the whole vent cover to clean the fan constantly. Also, if you live in the country and have a lot of critters and bugs, they can help prevent them from moving around through your vents from room to room.
The TidyDocks vent filters are easy to install and easy to clean. I've only been using it for a few days, but already it feels like it's a little clearer and easier to breathe in my house.
If you'd like to try some easy to maintain vent filters, you can get some here:http://tidydocks.com/products?keywords=vent+filters

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

With everything going digital nowadays, CD's are becoming outdated. I have a massive CD collection that I've built up over the years just sitting on a shelf getting dusty now because I have all my music on my phone. Unfortunately, not every vehicle has a radio compatible with receiving music from a phone. I had to pay a good chunk of change to get a bluetooth deck in my main car, and I absolutely love it, but it still cost a lot. I can't afford to outfit all of our vehicles with a bluetooth deck, so I decided to try the next best thing- an FM transmitter.

The FM transmitter was super easy to install. It's all a one-piece system. You simply plug one end into your cigarette lighter and plug the other end into your phone's earphone jack. You then find a station that isn't broadcasting anything and match the transmitter and your radio to the same channel. The buttons on the transmitter help you to easily scan through and find any station in the spectrum. I tried it out in my husband's secondary car- a little 97 Camry that he likes to drive to work since it's a standard and he thinks it's fun to drive. The quality is very good as long as your phone is turned all the way up. I started out with my phone about halfway turned up, and there was a weird whining noise in the background. After a few minutes of playing around with it, I turned my phone all the way up and the weird noise disappeared. It has way better quality than this other transmitter we have. The other one we have is battery operated and only plugs into the phone. That one will easily skimp out on the signal even though it'll be a foot away from the antennae. I think this FM transmitter is much better since it makes direct contact from phone to car and won't lose the signal.
If you'd like to listen to your phone on your car radio, you can get one here:
http://www.amazon.com/iClever-HB-F01-Wireless-Transmitter-Adapter/dp/B019LNR5SG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1453780252&sr=8-7&keywords=iclever+fm

*I was not paid for this review! I received this product free of charge for my honest opinion!

My six year old son loves drawing and doing other crafts. I call him my little Picasso because he's always working on an art project. We have a few chalkboards that we made ourselves with chalkboard paint, the largest one is inside his playhouse in the backyard. He's constantly playing in his playhouse, but sometimes runs out of stuff to do. I received these awesome Vellostar liquid chalk markers, and they are amazing!

The liquid chalk markers came in a nice compact box that would be perfect for gifting. They came in a range of eight colors - red, green, white, blue, yellow, orange, purple and pink. When you first get the markers out of the box, the tips are dry and you must activate them first. The box suggests to depress the tip while holding upright and to shake the marker for 30 seconds with the lid on. Well, that didn't really work. I got way better results just by pressing the tip down onto a hard surface until the chalk bled into the tip fully.
The markers were amazingly bright and easy to use. Each color showed up perfectly and absolutely bold. They were very easy to use and drew very well and smooth, with no skipping of the chalk. It really was just like drawing with markers on his chalkboard! The markers have nice clean-edged chisel tips which are fully reversible to bullet tips for fine detailing. The pack also comes with 4 replacement tips in case your kid gets a little zesty and grinds them into the chalkboard too hard. The markers are eco-friendly, completely child-safe, non-toxic, acid-free and has almost no odor. I can happily trust my son to play alone with these without worrying.
The markers are very useful to use on other surfaces besides chalkboards too! They also work on glass, metal, ceramics, LED boards, whiteboards and basically any other non-porous surface. Cleanup is very easy, it suggests cleaning with a wet cloth. I used a cloth that I soaked with a little bit of green cleaning solution, and it came of without leaving a trace. I tried wiping some off with my finger, and it smeared, but I was able to wipe most off. If your kid gets them all over their clothes, never fear, they are completely washable!
I absolutely love how bright and vibrant these chalk markers are and they are so easy to use! My six year old son absolutely had a blast drawing with them, and I love feeling that they're safe and how easily they cleaned up!
If you want some of the most awesome chalk markers ever, you can get some here:
http://www.amazon.com/Vellostar-Reversible-Non-Porous-Surfaces-Non-Toxic/dp/B015NR9H9E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443915757&sr=8-1&keywords=liquid+chalk+markers+vellostar

About Me

I'm a Texas gal with a wonderful husband, an amazing six year old son, and an adorable newborn baby boy!​My blog is about the best things in life - cooking, books, giveaways and reviews of everyday products! ​This is a PR-friendly blog!!